Old habits DRY hard! It's DRY JANUARY thread #2... newcomers always welcome!

[HPLikecraft]

Here we are, a shiny new thread to help us stay dry.

Thread one has been great and supportive; and thread two will take us through further challenges and milestones. Hop aboard; you're all doing brilliantly!

@WaxingGibbon maybe it's what marathon runners call the wall. Isn't it meant to hit at 20 miles or so? Not that I have ever tried, my information is based solely on watching the London marathon once a year

From my paltry running career (2 x 10ks) I definitely does up towards the finish line and got a bit of a boost. I think it's a thing!

That's it @cashmerecardigans ! We're hitting the wall! But we're going to power through, turn the corner, see the finish line, find our second wind like @Spirini said and romp to the end in a blaze of glory

Hi all,
Quick check in from me. Haven't yet caught up with the thread yet. Hope everyone is OK.

I've had a long stressy day at work in the middle of what is a stressy week. A glass of wine at the end of the day would've been my go to. Instead I've done 2 YouTube yoga sessions, not very well but I did them, I didn't think about wine much and now I feel a bit better and finally chilling for the evening.

I've come across the Matthew Perry interview on YouTube following his book release. Might give it a whirl. Has anyone watched it?

Excellent, hopefully that means this slump will be well worth it
The dark before the dawn maybe? Hang in there everyone

20 miles of a marathon is 76%, which is almost exactly where we are right now with DJ.

In fact, we are exactly at 76%.

I have gone to bed. I have a mild cold, my asthma is playing up and now aunty Flo has paid her monthly visit so feel quite miserable. DH isn't feeling great either add to that DS1 was being horribly abusive to me earlier during a meltdown my day just wasn't great. As he has ASD and ADHD there is oy so much I can do to help calm him as it's a matter of time normally and sensory regulation. Anyway tomorrow I doing my volunteer role which is really enjoyable.

I have been reading a book about unplugged parents. It's basically the effect to much screen time such as iPad and computer games has on kids and it's scary. My older kids behaviour definitely deteriorates massively if they spend more than about 30 minutes a day on iPads, computer games etc but it explains why in the book. I feel like chucking them out after reading it. Ironically DS1 meltdown earlier was linked to his iPad as he was banned today from it for his behaviour to me. He managed to earn himself a week's ban with his subsequent behaviour towards me so tomorrow will be hell but the rest of the week should be ok (I hope)

Sorry to hear you’re feeling rotten @Fundays12.

Totally get what you’re saying re. screen time. 2 out of 3 of my kids have ASD and they are obsessed. Other child can take or or leave it. My son had a week’s ban from gaming and YouTube recently and he was like a different child! My teen also has ASD. If I gave her a screen ban I think she would kill me! Removing her device at bedtime and not permitting screens at the table are about the only two rules she’ll stick to. I’d gladly through every device in the bin!

Day 21 for me! 3 weeks in. After the scales sticking I had a whoosh over the last couple of days so looks like I’ll have lost some weight by the end of the month.

Stick in guys, you’re all doing so well!

Fingers crossed onehappymam that happens to me as well, I am currently 2lb heavier than I've ever been 🙄

Day 25 and into the final week - that’s quite a milestone! I cannot believe I’ve made it this far.

Thanks for the support last night - I needed it. With only 7 more days to go I’m determined to dig in, keep my focus and hang in there until the bitter end.

I was reflecting on how physically I don’t feel quite as good as I thought I might, but I think I’ve forgotten just how awful I felt every day after drinking a bottle of wine the night before. Compared to that I feel absolutely incredible.

Go us!
@freshstart2023 yes I can we saying to a friend yesterday that that euphoria / relief of waking up in the morning feeling so fresh has worn off a bit. But you are right - I think because it's been so long since we have woken up feeling so awful we have forgotten quite how bad it was.

I must say I have a big night arranged in March with some very close old friends. Alcohol will be consumed. The next day dd has a sports competition involving a long drive and a lot of prep. I'm already dreading how I'm going to feel. I'll find it almost impossible to moderate my drinking which is what I have to work on ‐ having half a bottle of wine instead of a bottle and a half and feeling hanging and sleeping terribly.

(Dh is driving the next day so I don't even have that boundary to take into account!)

@Greatly wine is my weakness too like many of us on here.

I was wondering if I just drank something like G&T on such nights that could work. I don't get the moreish feeling with other drinks nearly as much as I do with dry white wine! That said I find less enjoyment in it (maybe that's they key though!)

@Greatly @lemonsaretheonlyfruit I'm also a member of the dry white wine club

DH suggested I have a GnT instead of the wine aperitif I have whilst getting the Sunday roast ready , but it’s not the same - and I’d probably still get through a bottle of wine anyway

We laughed at ourselves ( more like myself really ) as a nice bottle of Sauvi B has been in the fridge waiting to be opened for nearly 3 weeks
This is probably a work record

Add me to the list of tired and down people at the momen - and all of Feb still to go!

Hoping some of the benefits will kick in then. Aside from slightly better sleep, I'm yet to feel anything other than my usual default of tired, haggard, beige, blah and anxious.

Cheering on everyone, especially people who feel a bit stuck.

A friend came to stay unexpectedly last night, so we had dinner in a nearby pub that does nice food. I drank fizzy water and she had 3 glasses of wine. I wasn't tempted, partly because I'd driven us there, but next week I have a work trip and am pondering whether I can do that AF. I think it will make life a lot harder if I do, for various reasons, so maybe I'll try moderating instead...

Another of the white wine 'gang' feeling very unmotivated etc.

I'm going to run with the Marathon 'wall' analogy you were discussing yesterday evening and look for the up coming finish line for DJ as a boost to a more productive mindset.

Have a good day all. Oh, and my face is definitely showing improvement.

If I start with a G and T I'll just open the wine.

If I don't have any wine in the house I can have a vodka and soda and not want another one, so maybe that's what I'll do. Wine is deffo my achilles heel.

I'm in the slightly down camp too. I thought I'd look a lot better, but I'm hoping my liver and insides look better even though I can't see them! I've lost no weight but am eating way too m in chocolate, so no surprise there. I'm sleeping better without a doubt though, that's a huge bonus.
I'm feeling a bit ambivalent about what next too. Hoping to keep it to Friday and Sunday. I may try and stick with AF beer but wine is my downfall

White wine has me by the balls!

Just over 6.5 days to go now. And we’ve completed 24.5!

Phew, stress and problems and things, but strangely, bizarrely for me, the thought of a drink does not appeal. Well that's progress, because - as I'm sure you know - the first few gulps of booze usually make all problems wither into a little heap that can be ignored until later (when it puffs back up and screams in your face). I bet I'll be craving by the weekend though.

Well I haven't had a chance to read through everyone's news yet, but a few of us are a bit fed up I think. It's fine, we're still adjusting and being influenced by a once strong metal dependency. And if you're not feeling better, or looking better, or if you've not lost weight please be assured that you have done yourself an enormous amount of good. The benefits of a dry month are great. I haven't lost weight, but someone asked if I had yesterday. Apparently my face has better definition. I didn't notice but others did!
And if you felt better bumbling along with booze as a big feature in your life don't forget it's a big, fat evil liar. It tells you you're great, funny and healthy while slowly poisoning you and taking years from your life.

It's red wine for us at this time of year, but I think if my wife doesn't want to drink in Feb (she's been AF this month too) I am likely to just buy bottles of beer or cider - and then I tend to just have the one. Too gassy otherwise.